The Awakening
by Allie Cat
Summary: Sometimes the end is only the beginning


The Awakening  
  
  
The old superstitions branded it Dragon's breath... the eerie white mist swirling up from the loamy forest floor... a veil for sprites to frolic in... when the old ways prevailed and magic was in the air... a time when all God fearing folk stayed behind closed doors...   
  
Drifting low, the fog now blanketed the ground... its ghostly presence welcoming the lone figure of a woman moving steadily down the well- worn path through the trees. Bundled in a hooded mantle of the lightest of grays, her steps never faltered as the spray enveloped her... transforming her from an earthly to spectral vision... the illusion she floated above the path only aided by the dampened leaves silencing her footsteps....   
  
The ruins of a Cathedral suddenly rose from the ground before her as the mist parted and she broke through the dense foliage into a clearing.... the crumbling walls the backdrop to a magnificent marble statue of a man with an air of self confidence in his stance, his right knee slightly bent as his left hand rested on the hilt of his sword.  
  
A little breathless from her long walk, the woman stopped and kneeled at the base of the statue, slowly reaching out chilled fingers to touch the marble... her eyes widened and her hood fell from her as she tilted her head back in surprise at the warmth she encountered... gasping faintly as a sudden gust of wind lifted long strands of her unbound hair away from her and a strange warmth flowed through her... almost as if a lover's touch had caressed her.... gleaming shafts of moonlight suddenly broke through midnight clouds, bathing the statue as she raised her gaze to rest on the beloved chiseled features now clearly illuminated in the silvery light...   
  
Blinking back tears, the woman stood, moving her skirts aside and stepped onto the marble base, stretching her arm... her fingers softly traced the marble lips... her mind lost in thoughts....   
  
Two years.... could it really be... two long years this day since he'd held her on this very spot and whispered, " everything will be fine, you'll see." against her ear... making light of her uneasiness for the coming hunt... his warm breath teasing the sensitive skin below her ear before his lips had claimed her there... two long years since they had watched the twilight descend across the sky and lain in each other's arms... making love... sharing soft touches and whispered words of love as if they were newlyweds instead of the grandparents they were...   
  
Four days later, they'd brought his broken body back from the hunt to be put to rest as he had wished... among the ruins. This marble statue marking his presence for a trusted few.... the empty tomb under the floor of St. Anthony's Cathedral a reminder of his passage for the masses.... a place for them to grieve.... But this place.... this place... was his wish in life and her refuge in his death...   
  
Moving her fingers up to trace the smooth marble brow, a strangled sob escaped her lips... today would have marked their forty-fifth anniversary... it seemed so unfair... she knew she was more blessed than most with the forty-three years she had him near... but it was hard to take comfort in that blessing late at night when the ache to feel his arms around her filled her and she would remember so many things... the way her name whispered from his lips sent shivers down her spine... the devilish gleam that would sparkle in his eyes when he was about to be outrageous or the way he pushed his lip out in a pout almost as a child when things did not go his way... the way he would sneak up behind her and spirit her off to some secluded corner, leaving her breathless from his passionate kisses and then there were the roses... the rare deep pink roses he would often surprise her with that he swore were the same shade as her cheeks when she blushed... grabbing her then when she did blush so he could compare the colors, making her laugh... so many memories... a whole lifetime's worth of what to some would have been little things but to her were so much more....   
  
At first she'd thrown herself into seeing all his projects completed and into the guidance of her children, exhausting herself to the point that she fell into bed each night asleep almost before her head touched the pillows... living in a dream world until the break of day bought reality crashing back down on her again... But now... now there were no more projects and those children no longer needed her... each secure with their own place in this world... she longed for another....  
  
Closing her eye's, she slid her finger's slowly down the smooth marble... invoking the sensation of his heated flesh under her fingertips in her mind. Tears streamed down her face as she opened her eyes and stumbled down, wrapping her arms around her waist, she dropped to her knees, doubling over as violent sobs wracked her slight frame.....   
  
The warm feathered touch of finger's skimming over her cheek... a lover's caress... made her smile as the gentle sound of his breathing reached her ears... basking in the warmth radiating from his body close to hers, long minutes passed before her senses became fully aware of the cold ground beneath her. Gasping as her mind cleared, she opened her eyes and saw a barely distinguishable male silhouette leaning next to her. A cry of alarm rose in her throat as she rolled away from him, lifting to her knees, she forced her stiff limbs upward and prepared to flee.   
  
Moving her eyes past him for a second, she quickly took in her surroundings and realized she had fallen asleep at the foot of the statue. The persistent ache in her limbs evidence she had been there several hours.   
  
His voice startled her even though it was no more than a whisper, "Please don't be afraid. You know I would never harm you."  
  
Watching him closely as he straightened his long legs and stood but making no move toward her, she clutched her cloak next to her and tried to calm her pounding heart, demanding, "Who are you?"  
  
"Don't you know?" softly spoken, just slightly above a whisper.  
  
Frowning, the fine hairs on the nape of her neck prickled as she blinked several times, ignoring a childish longing to rub her eyes as his features came into focus in the moonlight. Not trusting the evidence before her, she started shaking her head, backing away from him. Trying to drag in a deep breath, she gagged and started trembling uncontrollably. Tears glistening in her eyes gave way to a soul wrenching sob, echoing disturbingly in the stillness that surrounded them, robbing her of breath as if she were drowning....   
  
He reacted so fast, she didn't even know he had moved until he had her drawn tight in his arms, cradling her head against his shoulder, whispering against her ear, "Shhh ... It's alright, love... everything will be fine... you'll see."  
  
Feeling as if she couldn't draw in enough air to sate her starved lungs, her mind was stunned by the hauntingly familiar words, causing her spine to stiffened briefly before her body, without any conscience thought on her part, melted into his... accepting the warmth that had been denied it for so very long..  
  
Time lost all meaning as they stood, wrapped in each other's arms. Her sobs slowly diminishing to soft whimpers as his warmth soothed her and she heard his heart beat against her... awareness dawned that his cheek was pressed against her hair once more and she breathed in the masculine scent she remembered so well...   
  
Trying to snuggle even closer to him, she hiccuped and whispered, "This is all a dream isn't it ?"   
  
She felt the soft touch of his lips against her hair and knew he smiled as he whispered, "No, my love, no dream."  
  
"But... but... how can this be real." Bewilderment evident in her voice, he knew it was more a statement than question as he pulled her tighter, placing another gentle kiss against her hair and waited for her mind to consider all the possibilities.   
  
Feeling totally adrift, a profusion of confusing thoughts played havoc in her mind until with a sudden gasp, she pulled away from him. Eye's wide, they moved over him, finally coming to rest on his face as he stood patiently before her waiting....  
  
Sucking in a breath, her hand trembled as she reached to trace fingers against the jaw she'd known so well... moving them to lightly glide over his lips and cheek... touching her thumb briefly at his temple before reaching up to brush the dark tumbled lock falling over his brow away as she had done countless times in the past... but he was different... the silver in his hair... the passage of time on his face had vanished... leaving him as he was when she first knew him.... first loved him...  
  
Turning away slightly, she brought both her hands to her own face... touching... discovering she too had changed... pulling a lock of her hair forward, she searched for the tell-tell grey strands.... only to find golden threads kissed by the sun nestled in the chestnut once more....  
  
Thoughts flashed across her face in a steady procession from initial disbelief to dawning understanding, and finally acceptance. Her features settling in a serene expression as she turned back toward him, watching him closely, she whispered, "I'm dead aren't I?"  
A possessive flame, clearly discernable even in the moonlight, suddenly blazed in his eyes as they captured hers and his strong arms drew her to him once more. Slowly lowering his head, his warm breath teased her lips as he whispered, "Does this feel dead?" before his lips closed over hers in softy enticing kisses ... stirring heated memories.... Lifting his head, he searched her face as he questioned, "Well?" in a husky whisper that sent shivers down her spine.  
  
Her eyes glowed up at him, feeling alive for the first time in two years, she murmured breathlessly, "No... does this mean we can..."   
  
A wolfish grin suddenly erupted on his face, robbing her thought from her. Chuckling, he pulled her tighter, leaning down to whisper against her ear, "Definitely... for eternity." Bringing one hand up, his knuckles gently caressed her cheek as he locked his eyes with hers, "Forty-two years, three hundred and fifty-six days ago, I offered you the world... my world... at this place... Do you remember?" At her slight nod, a hint of sadness touched his face before he softly questioned, "and do you remember that you ran from me?"   
  
Struggling against tears, the memory of that day still very clear in her mind, her whispered, "Yes," was tinged with a hint of remorse . Her eyes widened in surprise when he winked at her, a definite twinkle entering his as he adamantly proclaimed, "I was an arrogant fool then."   
  
Unable to help herself, a giggle escaped her at the thought he was still arrogant, just not so much the fool. Biting her lip, not trusting herself to speak, she nodded in agreement and waited.   
  
Suddenly giving her a look of intense scrutiny, he firmly stated, "The days following were a plummet into Hell... the only time I have ever been in Hell."  
  
Momentarily puzzled, a radiant smile spread over her face as she understood what he was telling her.  
  
Moving his fingers to lightly trace her lips, his eyes darkened with undisguised hunger when he smiled down at her, that special sensuous smile he'd only shared with her, making her heart race. His hand suddenly threaded through her hair, holding her still as he swooped down, taking her lips with his in a crushing kiss... charged with love... leaving them both breathless.   
  
Reluctantly breaking the kiss, he whispered against her lips, "I love you." Raising his head, he searched her face once more, "Forty-three years ago, this very day, turned into the happiest day of my life when you agreed to be mine. On that day I promised you I would love you forever... and in all those years, my love for you grew with each passing day as it continues to grow even now." Bringing his hand back to caress her cheek, his eyes filled with tenderness, " I've come once more to offer you my world, love... will you run from me again?" his voice deeply emotional.   
  
Her lips turned up in the sweet smile that was only her's, love clearly shining in her eyes as she whispered, "No," and slid her hands up his chest. Melting into him, she drew his head down, standing on tiptoes, she softly kissed him before she breathlessly murmured, "I love you."  
Placing a gentle kiss against her forehead, he eased her back out of his arms, slowly moving his eyes over her, absorbing the beauty before him that his soul had so longed for... Suddenly smiling, he held his hand out to her, "Come my love... come let me show you ever after." 


End file.
